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- Japan vs China, Nagatomo attacks (right) (jointly)
[Yongin (Korea) 12th = Nagata Jun]The Japanese national team (17th in the FIFA ranking) faced off against the Chinese national team (94th in the 8th), and defender Nagatomo Yuto (38, Tokyo) took the pitch to the national team for the first time in about 2 years and 7 months. This is the 143rd match in total for the national team since the first round of the World Cup Qatar tournament final tournament on December 5th, 2020. The soulful man, who has been the third oldest player in history, surpassing Ramos Rui, will be making his fifth World Cup, the first in Japanese history. He appealed to be a member of the North and Central American Tournament in 2016. ◇ ◇ ◇ Defender Nagatomo overtook midfielder Ramos. He is the third most senior player in history. He set a new record for the first time since 2022. He started off with the left side of the back, and in the 37th minute of the first half he blocked a shot from the opponent's cross. In the 42nd minute, he also made a bold overlap and changed his attack. Before the game, he cheered up the team with his performance as he had been enthusiastic about, saying, “I want to fight hard and show passionate play.” The 38-year-old and 303-day appearance was the record for forward Kawamoto Yasuzo, who was 40-year-old and 106 days after goalkeeper Kawashima Eiji, who was 39-year-old and 82 days after Ramos, surpassing Ramos's 38-year-old and 181 days after. This is the feat of being the oldest field player after the J.League was established in 1993. Still, he continued to remain steadfast, saying, “I'm surprised I'm not interested in it. Whether I'm young or older, what I show on the pitch doesn't change at all.” His total of 143 international A matches is second only to midfielder Endo Yasuhito's 152 matches. The A national team, where overseas players are at its peak, have not been a member of the team in 12 consecutive games, and it was the first time in a long time in the first match against Hong Kong on the 8th, but the days they have accumulated have given their team strength. “I haven't played in games but I've been there for so long (for the national team) and I really understand tactics. I know exactly what kind of work it is and what kind of movements I need.” The man who will be captain of this tournament has also given him a sense of calm in his voice and movements. “I want to show off my worth in this fifth World Cup,” the match was prepared to compete with everything, and the number 5 jersey made a strong presence.
